In desperation to get rid of criminalities, most Boholanos bank on the re-imposition of death penalty floated by presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte in rhyme with eyed bloody war against heinous crimes.

In survey conducted by DYRD, most respondents welcomed Duterte’s plan to re-impose death penalty by hanging in public places.

Some respondents, though, prefer death penalty by lethal injection.

A few conservative respondents opposed the plan, saying rich criminals who could afford high-caliber lawyers would only be spared.

Unless the justice system would be improved, there is no assurance that death penalty could effectively curtail criminalities, according to respondents who remain neutral on the issue.

Human rights groups had also expressed concern on its effect to poor crime suspects who could barely afford lawyers.

Reactions of Boholanos had been sought in random survey of DYRD following Duterte’s announcement on Monday in Davao City that would revive death penalty to deter criminals from pursuing their illegal activities.

Duterte also announced that he would “military snipers to shoot suspected criminals as part of a ruthless law-and-order crackdown”.

The sharp shooters would complement the peace-keeping tasks of barangay tanods in literally ridding the villages nationwide of suspected criminals.

The bloody anti-crime will commence days after Duterte’s assumption to office by end of June.

Death penalty has been suspended since 2006.

Death penalty in the Philippines traces back to the Spanish regime where the execution methods span from firing squad, garrotte, to hanging.

Under the American colonial rule, death by electric chair was introduced in 1926, then later reverted to firing squad.

The 1987 Constitution, drafted after the Marcos regime, prohibited death penalty, but allows its reinstatement for heinous crimes.

There had been on-and-off imposition of death penalty until the administration of former president Josepth Estrada.

Lethal injection became the sole method adopted by 1993.

Leo Echegaray was the last one meted with death penalty by lethal injection.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo later signed Republic Act 9346 that suspended again the imposition of death penalty in June 2006.

Now, Duterte is eyeing re-imposition of death penalty by hanging.

Former chair of Commission on Human Rights, Etta Rosales, and senator-elect and former justice secretary Leila De Lima—also former CHR chair, are among the national figures who expressed opposition to death penalty.